Although Xu Yingxu was somewhat embarrassed, he still insisted, "Your Highness, the orphans of the Imperial Guards are still young. Many of them were previously transferred to accompany the army north. In my opinion, the orphans of the Imperial Guards are not up to the great responsibility of protecting the central army."
Little Zhu didn't try to be reckless. Both Old Zhu and Little Zhu had taught him some concepts. Little Zhu also knew his special identity, and naturally he knew there were many things he couldn't risk.
Xiao Zhu nodded and said, "Then forget it. The orphan of the Imperial Guard will not go this time. He will stay in the camp for training. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will accompany him this time. The Central Military Commission should also come up with a plan."
Since Little Zhu didn't insist on bringing the orphans of the Imperial Guard, Xu Yingxu suddenly felt more confident.
His greatest fear was undoubtedly that the Crown Prince would act unilaterally. If that were the case, many people would likely be in serious trouble.
However, things seem to be going well now. The Crown Prince is still willing to listen to advice and suggestions, and he doesn't seem to have any intention of making things difficult for others, which has given many people a slight sense of relief.
Prince Zhou, Zhu Su, also came, even though he was of the same generation as Little Zhu. However, even as Prince Zhou, Zhu Su knew his place when facing Little Zhu. He was indeed the eldest son of the Hongwu Emperor within the Ming Dynasty and was quite favored by the old Zhu.
But so what? He was just one of the many princes of the Ming Dynasty. If the Hongwu Emperor hadn't been alive, Zhu Su wouldn't have seemed to have such a special status.
Many people today only recognize Prince Wu of the Ming Dynasty, knowing that he was the younger brother of Emperor Ying Shi. Prince Zhou, on the other hand, has been largely forgotten, or rather, consciously ignored by many.
The saying "A new emperor, a new court" is clearly not just a casual remark. This is also true within the imperial clan. Although he is currently the "eldest," the position of Imperial Clan Commander does indeed make Zhu Su appear even more esteemed.
Upon arriving at the Wenhua Hall, Zhu Su, with his neat and tidy luggage, greeted, "Your subject pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince. May Your Highness live a long and healthy life."
Zhu Su's actions were not problematic; the late Emperor Zhu stipulated in the ancestral instructions that when a prince met the emperor or the crown prince, he must first observe the proper etiquette between ruler and subject. It was an unavoidable matter; this was the imperial family, and some things could not be taken lightly.
The Crown Prince is the future emperor, and it is obviously inappropriate for him to assert his status in front of the heir apparent. Zhu Su naturally understood this principle.
"Fifth Prince, no need for formalities." Little Zhu stood up with a grin and walked towards Zhu Su. "Shuangquan, get the Fifth Prince a chair. Hurry up, you're not as perceptive as Wang Daban, no wonder Grandfather has disliked you all these years!"
Zhu Su fell silent. How could a eunuch who had served his father, the Emperor, so easily serve him for over ten years? Especially this one, who was arranged to serve the Emperor by Zhu Yunying back then.
If these two emperors of the Ming Dynasty hadn't been so particular, some outsiders would have been horrified.
Wang Chengen served Zhu Yunying for over ten years, but this position as the Grand Eunuch of the Ying Shi Emperor was actually arranged by the Hongwu Emperor. Shuangquan, who served the Hongwu Emperor for over ten years, was also placed there by Zhu Yunying.
The Hongwu Emperor instructed the astute Wang Chengen to serve the then-Crown Prince well and report on his actions at any time. The Crown Prince, in turn, arranged for the diligent Shuangquan to serve Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) and report on the emperor's affairs.
Old Zhu didn't find it taboo, nor did he think there was anything wrong with Zhu Yunying placing people around him, much less that Zhu Yunying was spying on him. Zhu Yunying also didn't reject Wang Chengen; he knew this was one of the ways Old Zhu cared about him.
That's it, everyone else is just dumbfounded. The emperors of the Zhu family really don't care about some things.
Little Zhu didn't care what Zhu Su was thinking. After seeing Zhu Su sit down, he said, "The Fifth Prince probably knows that we're going on a spring outing in a few days. Except for the members of the imperial family who have already gone to Beiping Prefecture, all the members of our generation who can go out should be taken out for a spring outing."
Zhu Su immediately replied, "Your subject obeys the decree. Upon returning, I will immediately review the imperial genealogy. Those whose ages match those of the imperial family members will all accompany you."
Little Zhu was happy, but still said, "When the time comes, let Aunt Baoqing go down with us too. Our family still needs an elder to accompany us."
Princess Baoqing is only six years old, the youngest daughter of Emperor Zhu. However, Emperor Zhu did not pay much attention to this youngest daughter. In his heart, daughters were never as valued as sons, so Princess Baoqing's mother was only a 'Beauty'.
The other women who bore children for Zhu Yuanzhang were mostly concubines, which shows that Princess Baoqing was not actually favored by Zhu Yuanzhang.
Little Zhu continued, "Fifth Prince, please remember to have our aunts and their generation accompany us. They must all be of marriageable age and unmarried. Our aunt is going on this trip too, and we might even arrange a marriage between her and someone else."
Now Zhu Su got serious. Some of his daughters, or rather, some of his brothers' daughters, were not yet of marriageable age. But the Zhu family had already multiplied, and it was indeed time to consider marriage.
Freedom of marriage is nonexistent. Leaving aside arranged marriages by parents and matchmakers, children of imperial families often had to consider "matching social status." Most importantly, many of these marriages were essentially political alliances.
Zhu Yuanzhang's daughters all married the descendants of founding heroes. Everyone knew that the crown prince's principal wife would inevitably be chosen from among noble families. Even the legitimate daughters of noble families generally married Zhu Yuanzhang's descendants.
This trip by the Crown Prince to enjoy the spring outing appeared to be a way for him to connect with members of the imperial clan. However, having Emperor Yingshi's younger sister accompany him was not about taking care of the Crown Prince or intimidating the imperial clan; it was about preparing to assess the children of the imperial clan, as well as the children of nobles who might be attending.
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